Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu: Ouji no Tabidachi

Over the years, many people have asked Orphan to do Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu: Ouji no Tabidachi (Dragon Slayer Legend of Heroes: The Prince's Journey), a 1992 OVA based on the video game from Nippon Falcom. (My colleague, macros74, called it "a somewhat forgotten little gem of an OVA.") Now it's done, and I don't have the slightest idea why it was in such demand. Dragon Slayer seems like a routine, based-on-a-video-game, sword-and-sorcery fest. What am I missing?

The OVA begins with a portentous voice-over setting the scene. In the land of Israehasa, the small kingdom of Faaren has been overrun by demons under the command of the evil Ackdam and his henchman (henchdemon?) Zagi. They kill the king, Aswell II, and capture the queen, Felicia. Only the heir apparent, Prince Cerrios, seems to escape.

However, then his mentor Raius is killed, and he is captured too. He is rescued by the Resistance; it's not exactly clear how. Coached by Raius' brother Aaron, Cerrios and the outnumbered Resistance army, which includes Aaron's granddaughter Sonya, the sorcerer Roe, and mighty warriors Gale and Ryunan, must take on Ackdam, Zagi, and their horde of demons. 

The outcome is predictable, if not conclusive.

The summary can't convey how strange it all seems, at least to me. The Resistance seems to have come directly out of Top Secret! The second episode is padded out by five minutes of recap, perhaps due to budget constraints. Cerrios is supposed to be a headstrong youth, but he comes across as an impulsive idiot. Ackdam postures and sneers and all but twirls his mustache, but he leaves Cerrios and his mother Felicia alive, and the security at his impregnable fortress is non-existent. Still, I did like the byplay between Cerrios and Sonya. He's a goofball when he isn't slicing villains to pieces, and she remains a teenage girl even after she fuses with and turns into a dragon.

The voice cast includes:

• Yamaguchi Kappei (Cerrios) starred as the lead character in the Detective Conan franchise, Ranma in the Ranma 1/2 franchise, Inuyasha in all the Inuyasha properties, Usopp in the One Piece franchise, Sakuma Ryuichi in Gravitation, and the title roles in the first Arslan Senki OVA series and Mouse, among many others. He also played Shibuya in Zetsuai 1989 and Bronze: Zetsuai Since 1989, Matsuoka Eiji in Chameleon, and Tooru in Boyfriend, all Orphan releases.
• Miyauchi Kouhei (Aaron) appeared in many Orphan releases, playing Jack Goldman in Condition Green, King Kaiser in Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Eddie in Nozomi Witches, Kogorou Shirachi in Stop!! Hibari-kun, the grandfather in Tsuki ga Noboru made ni, the judge in A Penguin's Memories, and Brigadier Hamilton in Techno Police 21C, and he appeared in the first two Sangokushi movies. He had a recurring role as Kame Sennin in the Dragon Ball franchise and played the mayor of Birdos in Watt Poe.
• Yamazaki Wakana (Sonya) played Mao Lan in Fighting Beauty Wulong, Mouri Ran in the Detective Conan franchise. She appeared in Chameleon, an Orphan release.
• Hori Hideyuki (Ryunan) played Hojo Munetoki in Genji, Part 1, Zach Isedo in Al Caral no Isan, Sid in Ai no Kusabi, Falk Green in Hi-Speed Jecy, Zhao Yun in Sangokushi movie 2, and Baraba in Eien no Filena, all Orphan projects. He played the title role in Baoh, Phoenix in the Saint Seiya franchise, and Tezuka Osamu himself in the Black Jack TV series.
  
• Tobita Nobuo (Roe, a sorcerer in the Resistance) played Lumial in the Angelique franchise, Ken Wakashimazu in the Captain Tsubasa franchise, Randy in Fake, Sinistra in Kiddy Grade, the title role in Locke the Superman, and Dayon in Osomatsu-san. He appeared in Genji, Part 1, Ziggy Sore Yuke! R&R Band, Condition Green, Eien no Filena, and Choujikuu Romanesque Samy: MISSING 99, all Orphan releases.
  
• Ootsuka Akio (Gale, fighter in the Resistance) played the title roles in most of the Black Jack properties, Magma Taishi, Blade, and Montana Jones. He also played Gozo in the Aika franchise, Batou in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, the villain All for One in Boku no Hero Academia, and Nyanko Big in one memorable episode of Tada Never Falls in Love. He played Kenneth Guildford in Nana Toshi Monogatari, George in Condition Green, the narrator in Fire Emblem, Nobunaga the boss crow in Ultra Nyan 2, Zilu in Eiyuu Banka Koushi-den, and Black Jack in Tezuka Osamu Disappears, all Orphan releases.
• Yokoo Mari (Queen Felicia) played Battia in Outlanders, Fumio (the dorm mother) in the Shokugeki no Souma franchise, Mantarou's mother, Kayo, in Ipponbouchou Mantarou, and Yuriko in Yuukan Club. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Sasaoka Shigezou (Ackdam) played the title role in God Mazinger, Jacob in Magma Taishi, King Aleph in Magical Hat, and the villain Mr. X in Scoopers. He appeared in Sanctuary, Sugata Sanshiro, and Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament, all Orphan releases.
• Oka Kazuo (Zagi) had featured roles in many shows.
• Oota Shinichirou (Zanji the monster) played Yamaguchi in Kiss wa Me ni Shite, an Orphan release, and had featured roles in numerous shows.

The director, Nakamura Noriyuki, also helmed Mr. Ajikko.

The project started eons ago with a request from a colleague in Beatrice-Raws, but it didn't go anywhere. Up until now, the standard versions have been VHS rips of R1 hardsubs or an R1 dub. When ProxyMan found laserdiscs of the OVA, a new version seemed feasible. The hardsubs resisted OCR, so I appealed for help on Discord. Both TechDamage and -Enishi- transcribed the subs. Yume translation checked, and kokujin-kun filled in one particularly knotty line. Eternal_Blizzard timed. I edited and typeset (just credits). Nemesis, Topper3000, and VigorousJammer QCed. MartyMcflies gets a special thanks for his overall help. Rezo encoded the laserdiscs from a Domesday Duplicator rip. The mastering on the laserdiscs is a mess, but they do look better than the VHS tapes.

Because there's an English dub, Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu is a dual-audio release. As with Orphan's other composite audio releases, niki provided the audio track and synced it to the raw. The dub did not include the preview in episode 1 or the recap in episode 2, so the Japanese audio has been left in place for those segments. The "signs-only" tracks have English subtitles for the audio portions that are in Japanese.

Both episodes end with a promo for an unrelated OVA, Ys - Tenkuu no Shinden: Adol Christin no Bouken. I've used ordered chapters to edit the promo out. If your player doesn't support ordered chapters, it will play at the end of both episodes. It has not been translated.

So here's Dragon Slayer Eiyuu Densetsu: Ouji no Tabidachi, in a new, somewhat shinier version. You can get the episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net. Go fight! Oh, wait, that's a different Nippon Falcom property...

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament: Batch

So here, four years after we started, is Orphan's final word on Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament: In the Beginning. The batch contains four revised episodes: 4, 5, 6, and 12. Two of them are missing a font, one has an incorrect style, and one has an artifact from image stabilization that causes black lines to appear at the top of the screen. Patches are available for all four.

The project was Skr's brainchild, and he did much of the work on the series, including encoding, styling, and credit typesetting, He translated many of the episodes, until Real Life forced him to take a hiatus. His return enabled Orphan to finish the series fairly quickly in 2022 and 2023.

Staff credits:

• Translation: Skr (ep1-10); Nutella (ep10-16); Skr and Moho Kareshi (ep17-26)
  
• Timing: Skr (ep1-6); Skr and Collectr (ep7-9); Yogicat (ep13-16); Skr and ninjacloud (ep17-26)
• Styling and base credit typesetting: Skr (all)
• Editing: Collectr (all)
• QC: Nemesis (all), Topper3000 (ep1-12), Uchuu (ep10-26)
• Encoding: Skr (all)

Skr also provided the R2J DVDs for the series.

In the individual volume reviews, I've already made clear my views (and reservations) about the series. It is entertainment, aimed at a general audience, including children. The unsavory aspects of the Old Testament are simply omitted. The great stories, such as the binding of Isaac, don't achieve the artistic heights and emotional depths they require. The music is pedestrian, with a portentous orchestral opening, a vapid ending ballad, and faux biblical choruses at inappropriate points. Finally, I'm not enamored of ending a series explicitly titled Tales from the Old Testament with tales from the New Testament.

On the other hand, the series bears many of Tezuka Osamu's hallmarks, emphasizing a good story line while mixing in doses of comedy, mostly provided by Rocco the fox. It also shows many of director's Dezaki Osamu's trademarks, which keeps it visually interesting. It won't replace Hidamari no Ki as my all-time favorite Tezuka Osamu series, but it's a notable addition to Orphan's translations of his works.

I'll close with two images from the last episode. First, a tender portrait of mother and child:

And second, the last glimpse of Rocco the fox:

You can get the complete series from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #new on irc.rizon.net. Thanks for watching.

 

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament Ep25-26

With the return of the Jews (as they were now known) to Jerusalem, the historical narrative in the Old Testament basically peters out. The books of Ezra and Neremiah provide a look at the early years of the Second Temple period, but after that, nothing. Actual historical events, like the revolt of the Maccabees against their Greek overlords, are not included, at least not in Jewish and Protestant versions of the Old Testament. Instead, the Old Testament is filled out with a section known as Ketuvim, the Writings. This contains standalone stories, such as Esther, Ruth, and Daniel; poems, such as Psalms and Lamentations; and philosophical works, such as Ecclesiastes and Job.

So the creators of this series had a choice. They could have shown the Maccabees' revolt. It's an action-packed story with a miracle at the end. They could have done stories from the Writings. Esther and Ruth would have made fine standalone episodes. And I would have loved to see what Tezuka Osamu, creator of Cleopatra and Senya Ichiya Monogatari, would have made of The Song of Solomon. But it was not to be. A series sponsored by the Catholic Church had to drive toward a different conclusion. And so the ninth and last volume of Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament might better be titled "Tales from the Apocrypha and the Gospels."

Episode 25 ("Prophets in the Desert") fast-forwards through more than 300 years of history to the Roman occupation of  Palestine (as it was now called) in 63 BCE. Jewish belief is in ferment. Concepts from other religions, such as the immortality of the soul and the imminence of end times, combined with longing for liberation from foreign masters, merge into belief in the coming of a Messiah. This man would be a descendant of David, would gather the scattered tribes of Israel back to Palestine to be their king, and would lead the world in a new era of justice and peace. As signs and portents gather, Mary, a young woman descended from the line of David, receives a visit from a heavenly messenger, who tells her that she will bear a son, to be named Jesus.

Three wise man from the east see a bright star in the heavens, a sign that a great king will be born in Israel. They set out across the desert for Palestine. Rocco accompanies a nameless prophet who speaks of the immanent arrival of the Messiah.

Episode 26 ("The Birth of Jesus") retells the Nativity story. The Roman emperor Augustus orders that all residents of Palestine must return to their birthplaces and register themselves and their property, so they can be taxed. Mary, now pregnant, and her husband Joseph set out from their home in Nazareth to Joseph's birthplace, Bethlehem. Meanwhile, the wise men visit Herod the Great, the Roman's client king of Judea, and tell him that a king of the Jews will soon be born. Herod will brook no rival king, and he sends his troops after the wise men with orders to kill the newborn infant. However, a miraculous whirlwind scatters the assassins and prevents them from following the three sages into Bethlehem.

When Mary and Joseph reach Bethlehem, they stop to visit Elizabeth and Zechariah, who are celebrating the recent birth of their son John, the future Baptist. But when Mary and Joseph look for a place to stay, they find that all the inns and lodging houses are full. Because Mary is in labor, they seek refuge in a cave. The star guides the sages to the cave, and its light brings the local shepherds and farmers to its threshold. There they find Mary nursing her newborn child and fall to their knees in awe and thankfulness.

Rocco is a distant witness to the journey of the three wise men and to the Nativity. 

The voice actors in this volume include:

• Goto Tetsuo (Simon) had featured roles in Armored Troooper Votoms, Eureka Seven Ao, Zero no Tsukaima, Kado: The Right Answer, and Squid GIrl.
• Fujiki Seiko (Anna) appeared in Nagaski 1945: Angelus no Kane, an Orphan release.
• Kiyokawa Motomu (prophet) played Fuyutsuki Kouzou in the recent Evangelion movies, Walter Dornez in Hellsing Ultimate, Charles Auclair in the Nodame Cantabile franchise,  and Gouza in the current Ars no Kyojuu. He played Kosuke as an adult in Sensou Douwa: Boku no Boukuugou, an Orphan release.
• Suzuki Katsumi (messenger) appeared in Hi-Speed Jecy, Zetsuai: 1989, and Kosuke-sama to Rikimaru-sama: Konpeitou no Ryuu, all Orphan releases.
• Hayami Shou (angel) reprises her role from earlier episodes.
• Amano Yuri (Mary) played the title role in The Legend of Snow White, Julia in Daddy Long Legs, Kiyone in the Tenchi Muyo franchise, and Moemi in Video Girl Ai. She appeared as Kuzunoha in Akuemon, Angie in Condition Green, Elthena in Eien no Filena, Kitagawa in Nozomi Witches, Noriko in Singles, Yuko in St. Michaela Gakuen Hyouryuuki, Ayuuru in B.B. Fish, and in multiple roles in Fukuyama Gekijou, all Orphan releases.
• Hirata Hiroaki (Joseph) played Kondo Masami in Koi wa Ameagari no You ni,  Benny in Black Lagoon, Itsuki in the Kindaichi movies, Sa Gojou in Saiyuki and its sequels, Sanji in One Peace, Zaki in DearS, Jack in Moonlight Mile, Nantoka in Rita to Nantoka, Tiger in Tiger & Bunny, Vinsmoke in One Piece, Fujimoto in Ao no Exorcist, and Max Lobo in Bananafish. He also played Mishima Jun in Chameleon and the professor in Nemure Omoigo, Sora no Shitone ni, both Orphan releases.
• Koyama Tekohiro (Zechariah) had featured roles in Cowboy Bebop, Demon Lord Dante, Project Blue Earth SOS, Robotics;Notes, and Texhnolyze. He appeared in Nagasaki 1945: Angelus no Kane, an Orphan release.
• Sasaki Seiji (Roman captain) appeared in Howl's Moving Castle, One Piece, Samurai 7, and Inazuma Eleven.
• Masato Sako (Herod) had featured roles in Dotanba no Manners and the You're Under Arrest movie.
• Doi Mika (Elizabeth) previously appeared as Hagar.
• Ishinami Yoshito (wise man) appeared in Arc the Lad, Hikaru na Go, and Legend of the Galactic Heroes.
• Ishikawa Kazuyuki (wise man) appeared in Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, El Hazard: The Alternative World, Reign: The Conqueror, and Zatch Bell.

I could not identify the actor playing the third wise man.

For this set of episodes, both Moho Kareshi and Skr contributed to the translations. ninjacloud timed. I edited and transposed the typesetting. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. Skr encoded from R2J DVDs.

You can pick up this batch of episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Batch torrent soon.

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament Ep22-24

The eighth volume of Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament covers the glory days of the Kingdom of Israel, its decline (mostly skipped) and fall, the Babylonian captivity, and the return of the people to Jerusalem.

Episode 22 ("The Kingdom of Solomon") portrays the high point of the Kingdom of Israel, the reign of Solomon. As king, Solomon builds a magnificent temple to the Lord, the remains of which are still visible as the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. He is held in high esteem for his wisdom and judgment by the people and by neighboring monarchs, including the Queen of Sheba, who visits him in Jerusalem. 

However, Solomon is corrupted by wealth and power and veers from observance of God's commandments. He marries foreign women, and when they request permission to worship their gods, he permits it. At the end of the episode, a wandering prophet castigates the king and the people for their sins and prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem. Rocco does not appear, for the first time in the series.

This episode omits some of the more interesting tidbits about Solomon (he had 700 wives and 300 concubines, for example). It also telescopes the arrival of the prophets into his reign, when they actually appeared later. Visually, the episode makes heavy use of Dezuki Osamu's trademark, postcard memories  The death of David's favorite son Absalom and the succession of Solomon is shown almost entirely with static shots of postcards.

The series then omits the next 300+ years of Biblical narrative. After Solomon, the kingdom fell into disarray and split into two parts: the northern Kingdom of Israel, centered on Samaria, and the southern Kingdom of Judah, centered on Jerusalem. Israel was destroyed by the Assyrian Empire, and its people were carried off or dispersed. Judah survived for a while as a client state of Assyria, but one of its king chooses the wrong side in an Assyrian-Babylonian conflict. The Babylonians invaded and overthrew the king. Later, they invaded again and destroyed the kingdom of Judah completely. And that brings us to...

Episode 23 ("The Babylonian Captivity"). The Babylonians invade and destroy Jerusalem. They carry off its people to Babylon as slaves and its treasures for King Nebuchadnezzar's coffers. (The people in the surrounding countryside were left alone, as part of the new Babylonian province of Yehuda.) Ezekiel the prophet escapes the city with a boy named Nun. In Babylon, Ezekiel rallies the spiritually bereft slaves. He tells them to return to the ways of God and to obedience to the commandments. He makes sure that the history of the Israelites and the laws of Moses are preserved and remembered, providing the spiritual solace (today we would say, the cultural identity) the people need. Rocco makes repeated appearances as Nun's pet.

The Bible actually has very little to say about the Babylonian captivity: snippets in Jeremiah, 2 Kings, and 2 Chronicles. Ezekiel was there, but his writings are mystical, not historical. Nevertheless, the capture of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple left deep scars on the psyche of Israelites. This is reflected in Psalm 137. The first part is an aching lament of a people exiled and enslaved (beautifully set to music in Godspell):

By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
On the willows there
we hung up our lyres.
For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
"Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"
How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a foreign land?

But the second part is a cry of rage about what has happened, culminating in one of the most bloodthirsty curses in the Bible:

If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill!
Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy! {one verse omitted here}
O daughter of Babylon, doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who repays you
with what you have done to us!
Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and dashes them against the rock! 

The Old Testament is not for the faint of heart.

Episode 24 ("Liberation from Captivity") portrays the conquest of Babylonia by the Persians under King Cyrus II (Cyrus the Great). Historical sources are scarce and contradictory. The events in the episode - Babylon is betrayed by a disaffected priestly group - are fictional, although some source suggest it fell without a fight. The episode also includes a story from the Book of Daniel, in which the fateful words "Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin" suddenly appear before the baffled Prince Belshazzar. Daniel interprets them as a pronouncement of doom from God, and so it transpires. Cyrus frees the enslaved Hebrews (and other conquered peoples who had been carried off to Babylon) to return to Jerusalem and build a new temple. They renew their allegiance to God and the Laws of Moses and set out. Rocco has a cameo at the end, witnessing their departure.

New stories mean new voice actors:

• Aomori Shin (Solomon) played Kurokawa in Meisou-ou Border, an Orphan release. He had featured rules in Aquarion, the Dragon Ball franchise, One Piece, and Rowdy Sumo Wrestler Matsutaro!!
• Yanaga Kazuko (Queen of Sheba) played Fyana in Armored Trooper Votoms, Mime in Harlock Saga, and Peggy in Kizuoibito. She appeared in Bavi Stock and Bremen 4, both Orphan releases.
• Ohtsuka Akio (Young Ezekiel) played the title roles in most of the Black Jack properties, Ambassador Magma, Blade, and Montana Jones. He also played Gozo in the Aika franchise, Batou in the Ghost in the Shell franchise, the villain All for One in Boku no Hero Academia, and Nyanko Big in one memorable episode of Tada Never Falls in Love. He played Kenneth Guildford in Nana Toshi Monogatari, George in Condition Green, the narrator in Fire Emblem, Nobunaga the boss crow in Ultra Nyan 2, Zilu in Eiyuu Banka Koushi-den, and Black Jack in Tezuka Osamu Disappears, all Orphan releases.
• Tamio Ohki (Old Ezekiel) played Dr. Tenma in Tezuka Osamu Disappears, an Orphan release, as well as the 1980 version of Astro Boy, Ibuya in Hidamari no Ki and Darai Sem in Amon Saga (also Orphan releases), Aramaki in the GITS movies, and the title role in Planetarian: Hoshi no Hito.
• Ootomo Ryuuzaburou (Nebuchadnezzar) played Sir Crocodile in One Piece and Dabra in Dragon Ball Z. He appeared as Zach in AWOL Compression Remix, an Orphan release.
• Ishikawa Hiromi (Nun) appeared in Maohoujin Guru Guru, Mokke, Shaman King, and other shows.
• Aono Takeshi (Belshazzar) played Nurarihyon in every incarnation of GeGeGe no Kitarou through 2007, Billy Bones in Treasure Island, Bookman in D.grayman, Dracule in One Piece, Katsuhiko Masaki in the Tenchi Muyo franchise, and Shiro Sanada in the Yamato franchise. He also appeared in A Penguin's Memories, Ginga Tansa 2100: Border-nen, Fire Emblem, Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Hashire Melos!, the three Sangokushi movies (as Guan Yu), and Rain Boy, all Orphan releases.
• Ishizuka Unshou, who played David, made a return appearance as Cyrus, King of Persia.

For this set of episodes, both Moho Kareshi and Skr contributed to the translations. ninjacloud timed. I edited and transposed the typesetting. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. Skr encoded from R2J DVDs.

You can pick up this batch of episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament Ep19-21

The seventh volume of Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament is the pivot point between the mythic and "historical" parts of the Bible. (Quotes needed, because little of the history of the United Kingdom of Israel can be verified archaeologically.) The Israelites were competing for space in a crowded land and were under increasing pressure from larger political entities. They came to believe they needed more than just God's strength to protect them. Instead of decentralized tribes governed by charismatic local leaders ("judges"), they wanted a centralized kingdom and all that went with it. It worked - for a while.

This is also the point, in my view, where the series' G-rated, "greatest hits" approach to the Bible breaks down. These episodes present the highlights - Gideon's victory over Midian, Saul's selection and subsequent madness, David and Goliath - but they fail to do justice to the highly complex characters in this story. David is presented simplistically as a faithful servant of God. None of the dark notes - Absalom, Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite - are mentioned. His deep friendship with Saul's son Jonathan, so carefully delineated in the Bible, is  ignored; Jonathan's role in saving David's life is given to Saul's daughter, Michal. David succeeds Saul, conquers Jerusalem, composes songs of praise to God, dies. This is not the compelling figure who captured the imagination of western artists from Michelangelo to Leonard Cohen. But... "you don't really care for music, do ya?"

Episode 19 ("King Saul") relates a few stories from the Book of Judges, specifically Deborah leading the people to victory over the Canaanites, and Gideon leading the chosen 300 (This is Sparta!) to victory over the Midianites. The main narrative tells how the prophet Samuel selected and anointed Saul as Israel's first king. Rocco has a catalytic role in bringing Saul into contact with Samuel.

The Book of Judges is actually far more schematic than this episode indicates. It contains six "cycles." In each of them, the people lapse into idolatry and are threatened by external enemies as God's punishment. A charismatic leader arises to bring the people back to their faith and earn God's forgiveness. The leader, with God's power, defeats the enemy, and the people enjoy forty years of peace. Rinse and repeat. This theme - God punishing the Israelites for lapses of faith via external enemies - will occur again.

Episode 20 ("Saul's Defeat") recounts the downfall of Saul. The king's initial run of victories make him arrogant, and he usurps the priests' role in rituals. He loses God's favor and becomes increasingly morose. Samuel seeks out the house of Jesse and secretly anoints his youngest son, the musically-talent shepherd David, as the future king. Later, Saul's servants send for David to play for the king and soothe his troubled soul. When the Philistines, led by their giant Goliath, challenge the Israelites, David volunteers to face Goliath and brings him down with his slingshot. David becomes instantly famous and wildly popular, and he marries Saul's daughter Michal. However, David's fame excites Saul's jealousy, and the king tries to have his rival killed. David is protected by God's favor. Saul is killed fighting the Philistines, along with his son Jonathan. Rocco is the young David's pet and companion.

At the end, David sings a song of mourning for Saul and Jonathan, but it is very generic compared to David's impassioned words in the Book of Samuel:

Jonathan lies slain on your high places.
I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
very pleasant have you been to me;
your love to me was extraordinary,
surpassing the love of women.

Not likely to make it into this series. How the mighty have fallen, indeed.

 

This episode has an unusually high number of director Dezaki Osamu's trademark detailed still frames or "postcard memories":

 

 

Episode 21 ("King David") starts with David's conquest of the Jebusite fortress of Jerusalem, located on Mount Zion. He calls Jerusalem "the city of David" and begins a massive reconstruction project to make it a beautiful center for his kingdom. He brings the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem and dances in joy, celebrating the Lord. He also starts to build a temple to hold the Ark of the Covenant, but the prophet Nathan, relating God's words, tells David to leave that task to his successor.

This episode illustrates one incident that shows David's humanity. He dances before the Ark of the Covenant, wearing just an ephod (a priestly apron). This causes his wife, Michal, Saul's daughter, to rebuke him for dishonoring the dignity of a king. David disagrees, saying that to praise God, he would make himself even more of a mountebank, if need be. The episode omits, of course, the aftermath: David takes wives and concubines in Jerusalem and fathers eleven more children; he shuns Michal, who remains childless.

Rocco causes his usual fox-like chaos in the marketplace during David's celebration.

These episodes introduce new characters and new voice actors:

• Yoshida Rihoko (Deborah) played Megu-chan in Majokko Megu-chan, Monsley in Future Boy Conan, Maria Grace Fleed in UFO Robo Grendizer, Michiru in Getter Robo, Clara Sesemann in Alps no Shoujo Heidi, Rosalie Lamorliere in The Rose of Versailles, Kurama in Urusei Yatsura, and Machiko in Maicchingu Machiko-sensei. She appeared in numerous other World Masterpiece Theater series, including  Anne of Green Gables, Honoo no Alpen Rose, Katry the Cow Girl, Shoukoushi Cedie, Lucy May of the Southern Rainbow, Marco: 3000 Leagues in Search of Mother, Perrine, and Pollyanna. She played Holy Mother in Gude Crest, Takako in Sugata Sanshiro, and Diaochan in the first Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases.
• Yamanouchi Masato (Samuel) appeared in Casshan, Future Boy Conan, Hell Liner-0011, Racoon Rascal, and Shounen Santa no Daibouken. 
• Yuuki Hiro (Young David) played the title role in Arc the Lad, Marcel in the Angelique franchise, and Masuo in Yume de Aetera. He also appeared in Neko Neko Fantasia, Nozomi Witches, and Yamato 2520, all Orphan releases.
• Ishizuka Unsho (David) played the title role in a Violence Jack OVA, Jet Black in Cowboy Bebop, Hongou in Rescue Wings, van Hohenheim in the original Fullmetal Alchemist, Dina in Banana Fish, and Bunta in the Initial D franchise.
• Shimaka Yuu (Goliath) played Katagiri in Yawara! He appeared in Bagi, Kosuke-sama & Rikimaru-sama: Konpeitou no Ryuu, Kasei Yakyoku, and Apfelland Monogatari, all Orphan releases.
• Hashi Takaya (Saul) appeared in Sanctuary, Oedo ga Nemurenai!, and Yuukan Club, all Orphan releases. He had featured roles in Blade Runner: Black Lotus, D.grayman, the Fafner franchise, Fire Force, and the Garo offerings.

For this set of episodes, both Moho Kareshi and Skr contributed to the translations. ninjacloud timed. I edited and transposed the typesetting. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. Skr encoded from R2J DVDs.

You can pick up this batch of episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament Ep 16-18

Here is volume 6 of Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament: In the Beginning, which concludes the Exodus story and starts the books about the conquest and settlement of the Promised Land.

Episode 16 ("Israel's Betrayal") retells the episode of the golden calf. When Moses is delayed on Mount Sinai, some of the Israelites lose faith and lapse into paganism. An angry mob forces Aaron to forge an idol - a golden calf - for them to worship and celebrate. When Moses returns, he rallies his followers, and they storm the camp, killing all who have betrayed the Lord. Aaron and the people are forgiven, and the trek to Canaan continues. Rocco makes a cameo appearance at the end of the episode. (Cecil B DeMille did the debauchery in this episode much more vividly, particularly in the silent version of The Ten Commandments.)

Episode 17 ("The Promised Land") summarizes the journey to Canaan. The Israelites march through and defeat multiple tribes to reach the borders of Canaan. The episode shows their victories over the Edomites and the Amorites in some detail. But the wrath of God for past transgressions manifests itself. For his sin in forging the golden calf, Aaron dies without seeing the Promised Land. And for his sin in doubting God (and perhaps for arguing with Him), Moses is told that he will see but never enter the Promised Land. And so it comes to pass. Moses blesses the tribes of Israel, passes leadership to Joshua, and dies. Rocco is a point-of-view characters to the sufferings of the people in the desert.

Episode 18 ("Jericho") retells the most famous episode in the conquest of Canaan, the fall of the city of Jericho. Joshua sends to spies to scout out the city. They are discovered, but a woman named Rahab hides them. Eventually, they escape and report back. Jericho seems impregnable. However, God promises Joshua that, at the sound of the trumpets, the walls will "come tumbling down." He commands Joshua to destroy the city and everyone within it. (Again, this is not shown onscreen.) For her help, Rahab is spared the destruction of the city; in the Bible, Rahab's family is spared as well. Rocco has a prominent role a Rahab's pet, providing Joshua with a vital clue about the state of the city's walls.

Episode 18 has some additional voice actors:

• Nishimura Tomomichi (High Priest Zogel) appeared as the narrator in YuYu Hakusho, Anzai-sensei in Slam Dunk, Shibaraku Tsurugibe in Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, and Jamitov Hymem in Mobile Suit Z Gundam. He had a cameo as Don Dracula in Bremen 4 and appeared in Aoki Honoo, Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Goro Show, Eguchi Hisashi no Nantoka Naru Desho!, Fire Tripper, Fumoon, Hi-Speed Jecy, A Time Slip of 10,000 Years: Prime Rose, Wild 7, Wolf Guy, and Yamataro Comes Back, all Orphan releases.
• Hino Yurika (Rahab) had featured roles in Baki the Grappler, Ghost Hound, Kai Doh Maru, Submarine 707R, and X-men.
  

These episodes soften some of the harshest incidents in the Old Testament. In episode 16, Moses orders the execution of all the men who have worshiped the golden calf. However, at the end, he saves Rocco from some boys, telling them not to kill unnecessarily. In episode 18, God demands the death of everyone in Jericho except Rahab. However, the inhabitants are shown as leaving the destroyed city. In the Bible, Rahab is forthrightly described as a prostitute. However, in the anime she is portrayed as a virtuous woman fending off Zogel's amorous advances.

This set of episodes was delayed by staffing issues. Nutella dropped out after translating episode 16. Moho Kareshi and Skr both contributed to translating subsequent episodes. In addition, both the closed captions and the Bible itself were used for some lines. Yogicat timed episodes 16 and 17; ninjacloud timed episode 18. I edited and transposed Skr's typeset credits. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. Skr encoded from R2J DVDs.

You can pick up this batch of episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net

 

(Maris) The Choujo - Dual Audio

So... a dual audio version of Maris the Choujo, that is, an updated release including an English dub track. You may be asking yourself, "Has Collectr finally lost his marbles?" The answer is no; that happened years ago. However, my initial distaste for dubs has softened over time, as I documented in this blog post. If a dub makes an anime more accessible to an English speaking audience, that's all to the good.

The origins of this release stem from an Internet pen-pal who uses the handle niki. He's been extracting English dubs from 90s VHS tapes and synchronizing them to Orphan's releases. This must be a fairly tricky process. VHS tapes are analog, and player speeds can vary. Orphan's sources are also usually analog and are ripped on different VHS or laserdisc players. Getting an audio track to match the particular idiosyncrasies of our release is audio editing magic, at least to me. niki has produced English audio tracks for Fire Emblem, Amon Saga, Hitomi no Naka no Shounen: 15 Shounen Hyouryuuki, and other shows.

I would have left the tracks as do-it-yourself muxing projects except for one other development: Orphan is working on more Rumiko Takahashi releases. I wanted to start this mini "Rumic World" festival with something completely different, and a dual audio release of Maris the Choujo, the second OVA in the series, fit the bill perfectly. It's no secret that I loved the show, and I'm happy to have an excuse to bring it to an audience again.

I've already covered Maris the Choujo in detail, and I won't rehash the release post here, except to provide a new screencap of Maris at her best:

niki created the dub track, which is taken from the 1994 US Manga Corps VHS release. I created a signs and songs subtitles track to go with the English dub track. The new release is about 120MB bigger, so don't bother downloading it unless you really want the dub. (There's a patch available to convert single audio to dual audio, if you prefer.) This release is available from the usual torrent site and from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament Ep 13-15

Here is volume 5 of Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament: In the Beginning, which continues the Exodus story through the giving of the Ten Commandments.

Episode 13 ("Moses and Pharaoh") retells the fated confrontation between Moses and the current Pharaoh, his stepbrother (at least, according to the apocryphal legends). Moses demands that Pharaoh let the Israelitesgo. When Pharaoh refuses, God brings ten plagues upon Egypt, culminating in the death of all male firstborn Egyptians - a deadly echo of a previous Pharaoh's orders to drown newborn male Hebrew children.  Rocco witness Moses first meeting with the Hebrew slaves and follows him throughout the episode.

Episode 14 ("Escape from Egypt") recounts the departure of the people of Israel, the pursuit by Pharaoh, and the ultimate demonstration of God's power at the shores of the Red Sea. On the far side of the sea, the Israelites suffer from hunger and thirst until God again demonstrates his power by providing mana from the sky. This episode includes a flashback montage of Joseph's life, done with director Dezaki Osamu's famous "postcard memories." Rocco continues as the audience's point-of-view character, mostly accompanying one young boy, and has one of the best sight gags in this mostly serious - not to say solemn - series.

Episode 15 ("The Ten Commandments") brings the story to Mount Sinai. The Hebrews continue to suffer from hunger and thirst, and God again provides miraculous sustenance. Quarrels among the people fester, and Moses, on advice from his father-in-law Jethro, appoints judges to lead subsections of the population. God instructs Moses to climb Mount Sinai to receive the ten commandments. These are greeted with joy and amazement. Moses continues to receive instructions on Mount Sinai. However, after one trip, he fails to return, and the people lose faith in the Lord. Rocco continues to act as a witness and, occasionally, get into foxy mishaps..

Episode 15 has a video glitch at 6:17; it's in the sources, both DVDs and TV broadcasts.

New cast members include:

• Takeshi Watabe (Pharaoh) had featured roles in numerous shows, including Condition Green, Twinkle Nora Rock Me!, and Sanctuary (all Orphan releases), as well as Gunparade Orchestra, Maze, Ninku, Oishinbo, Wrath of the Ninja, and You're Under Arrest.
• Saka Osamu (Aaron) played Daisuke Aramaki in the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex franchise and Oohara in the Oishinbo properties. He appeared in Aoki Honoo, Next Senki Ehrgeiz, Fire Emblem, Kasei Yakyoku, Oz, and the third Sangokushi movie, all Orphan releases, as well as numerous other anime.
• Aizawa Keiko (Miriam) appeared in Emma, Saiyuki, and Sakura Taisen, among other shows.
• Nakata Jouji (Joshua) is best known as Alucard in Hellsing and Hellsing Ultimate and as the Count of Monte Christo in Gankuutsuou. He also played Ashen Eye in The Ancient Magus Bride, Bandou in Elfen Lied, Hijikata in Golden Kamuy, Vladimir Putin (!) in Mudazumo Naki Kaikaku, Jin Kunugi in Rahxephon, Otou in Working!, and Diethard Ried in Code Geass. He played Nelson the Bomb, Hyatt's criminal bomber, in AWOL Compression Remix and Shamon, the priest, in Amatsuki, both Orphan releases.

One of the oddities of this set of episodes is the music that accompanies the miracle at the Red Sea. The Bible has an entire chapter devoted to Moses' (and Miriam's) song of praise and wonder. This is discarded in favor of a ponderous and pretentious hymn, sung in English by a massed chorus. I can't find any references for this hymn, so it may have been composed for the series. In any case, I'm offering a prize (of some sort) to anyone who can trace down this piece of music. Don't expect anything great, though.

Nutella translated these episodes. Yogicat timed. I edited and transposed Skr's original typesetting to these episodes. Nemesis and Uchuu QCed. Skr encoded from Japanese DVDs. The team continues to shrink.

You can pick up this batch of episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, Ep10-12

In my blog post on the third set of episodes, I piously hoped that there wouldn't be a year gap again, as there had been between the second and third sets. In fact, it's been more than 18 months. The delay wasn't related to the pandemic. Rather, key staff members had been sidelined by personal issues. Now, with new staffing, the project has resumed, and Orphan is releasing the next DVD's worth of episodes.

Episode 10 ("Jacob's Family Reunited") brings Joseph's story (and the book of Genesis) to a close. The episode hews fairly closely to the Bible, with only a brief appearance by Rocco as another victim of the terrible famine sweeping Egypt and the rest of the Near East. All ends well. Joseph and his brothers are reunited, and Jacob moves the family to Goshen in Egypt. When he is near death, Jacob asks his sons to bury him in the family crypt in Canaan, but he allows them to remain in Egypt, where they will prosper... for a while.

Episode 11 ("The Birth of Moses") tells the story of Moses' birth and then attempts to fill out the Bible's bare-bones story of his upbringing. In this version, Moses' Hebrew origins are not a secret. However, his adoptive grandfather, the pharaoh, insists that Moses must choose between his ancestral roots as a Hebrew and his adoptive identity as an Egyptian. Rocco has a prominent role as Moses' pampered pet.

Episode 12 ("Fire in the Desert") recounts Moses' fateful journey to the slave cities of Pithom and Rameses. There, he is so overcome with anger at the treatment of a Hebrew slave that he kills an Egyptian overseer. He is forced to flee into the desert, where he marries Zipporah, the daughter of a shepherding family. After many years, he is drawn to the upper reaches of Mt. Sinai, where he encounters God in the form of a burning bush and is directed to free the Israelites from bondage. Rocco has a cameo during Moses' initial encounter with Zipporah.

New cast members include:

• Genda Tesshou (Moses as an adult) played Colonel Muto in Joker Game, Moloch in Yondemasu Azazel-san, Rei in the Urusei Yatsura franchise, Moguro Fukuzou in New Laughing Salesman,  and "Oyaji" in Mitsuboshi Colors. He also played Jin Kiryu in Blue Sonnet, Zigong in Eiyuu Banka Koushi-den, Paul Rusch in Yume Kakeru Kougen, Jim Hyatt in AWOL Compression Remix, the loyal lieutenant Galbreath in Next Senki Ehrgeiz, the dragonman Baguda in Greed, the narrator in Akai Hayate and Meisou-ou Border, Dog McCoy in Dallos, Hebopi in Wild 7, rebel leader Oosukune in Izumo, Momo, the drummer in To-Y, and Rikiishi's trainer Kuroki and Kirishima in Eguchi Hisashi no Kotobuki Gorou Show, all Orphan releases.
• Ino Manabu (Moses as a youth) appeared in Arc the Lad and Case Closed.
• Okabe Masaaki (Pharoah during Moses' childhood) had featured roles in Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Sanctuary, an Orphan release.
• Miyata Hikaru (Jethro) had featured roles in Naruto, Kyojin no Hoshi, and Heat Guy J, as well as a lead role in the notorious h-anime The Maiden Diaries. 
• Takeguchi Akiko (Zipporah) appeared in The Alps Story: My Annette, The Book of Bantorra, and other shows.
  

Because the series is intended as a G-rated children's show, much of the tension of the Bible is lost. Exodus opens with a chilling and understated line: "Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph." The new ruler says, "Come, let us deal wisely with them," i.e., enslave and kill them. The biological son of Pharaoh is never named. He doesn't appear in the story of Moses' youth, and there is no rivalry between the two boys. I guess even Rocco didn't provide enough padding for the episode. Once the story reaches Mt. Sinai, it adheres more closely to the Biblical text.

New translator Nutella joined the team for these episodes; Skr translation checked episode 10 but then had to drop out. Yogicat timed. I edited and transposed Skr's original typesetting to these episodes. Nemesis, Topper3000, and Uchuu QCed. Skr encoded from Japanese DVDs.

A word on translation process and text. There are four possible sources: Nutella's translation; the Japanese closed captions; the English dub; and the Bible itself. When the episodes are inventing freely, the translation, cross-checked with the closed captions, has been used. However, when the episodes are adhering to the Bible, I have tended to interpolate from the Biblical text where appropriate. For example, when God calls to Moses from the burning bush, Moses responds in Japanese with a simple "Hai" (yes, okay, I will). I've transposed that to the Biblical response, "Here I am." You can consider either the Japanese line or my edit as another case of "lost in translation."

While I hope Orphan can finish the Exodus story (which runs through episode 17) in a timely fashion, there are no guarantees. Meanwhile, you can pick up this batch of episodes from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.

Yamatarou Comes Back v2

One of Orphan's earliest Tezuka Osamu projects was the set of six OVAs known as the Lion Books:

1	The Green Cat	1983
2	Rain Boy	1983
3	Lunn Flies into the Wind	1985
4	Yamatarou Comes Back	1986
5	Adachigahara	1991
6	Akuemon	1993

The project took 18 months, from the middle of 2013 to the end of 2014. Except for Adachigahara and Akuemon, Orphan used existing raws from other teams. I've always been less than happy about the quality of those raws. Last month, I was able to purchase a complete set of the Lion Books R2J DVDs, and Orphan will be redoing the OVAs with new encodes. This is the fourth episode, Yamatarou Comes Back (Yamatarou Kaeru).

Yamatarou is a sentimental and slightly strange take on friendship, in this case between a brown bear cub and a class C62 steam locomotive. Yamatarou and his mother become stranded on floating ice when the ice pack they are on breaks up. The crew of a passing fishing vessel rescues them, but the mother bear does not survive. Yamatarou is sold to the owner of a rural sundries store, who chains him up and uses him to sell his "food" (fish) to the locals. Yamatarou is growing fat and despondent, his only companion a snarky local cat, when he is befriended by a passing steam engine. The engine, which Yamatarou calls C6, teaches the cub how to be strong and break free from his chain and then returns the cub to the wild. They have another, fateful encounter when Yamatarou has become an adult.

Moho Kareshi translated, and convexity did translation checking. Eternal_Blizzard timed the original; Yogicat timed this version. I edited and typeset both versions. CP, Calyrica, and konnakude QCed the original; Nemesis and Uchuu QCed this version. Skr encoded from an R2J DVD. The encode includes an English dub audio track. In this release, I've changed one of Moho's translation quirks (rendering short and long Japanese vowels the same way), so Yamataro in the original is Yamatarou in this version. That aligns the title with standard sources like AniDB.

The voice cast is small, although three different seiyuu were used for Yamatarou, as a baby, a cub, and an adult:

• Yamada Eiko (Yamatarou) played the title roles in Anne of Green Gables, Ginga Nagareboshi Gin, Aramis no Bouken, and Legend of Lemnear, as well as Jo in Little Women, Misaki in Captain Tsubasa, and Gozu in Hoozuki no Reitetsu. She played the cross-dressing sister Shiina Yu in Chameleon, Vee in Al Caral no Isan, and appeared in Nora, the Sangokushi specials,  and the What's Michael? OVAs, all Orphan releases
• Takemura Hiroshi (Yamatarou as an adult) played the title role in Crusher Joe and Barts in Gina Hyouryuu Vifam,
• Itou Miki (Yamatarou as a baby) played Eiko in Project A-Ko, Reimi in Burn-Up, Sachiko in Maria-sama ga Miteru, Lind in Ah! My Goddess, Touko (Natsume's foster mother) in Natsume Yuujinchou, Taiga in the Fate franchise, Colon in Cool Cool Bye, and Anny in Adachigahara. The last two are Orphan releases.
  
• Takagi Hitoshi (C6) played Totoro in My Neighbor Totoro, and he narrated Galaxy Express 999.
• Ogata Kenichi (Kuro the cat) played the put-upon father in Gosenzosama Banbanzai and Maroko, Smee in Peter Pan no Bouken, and, most recently, Gran Torino in Boku no Hero Academia. He played the grandfather in Ohoshi-sama no Rail, Suzuki in Kigyou Senshi Yamazaki: Long Distance call, the crooked casino boss in Okane ga Nai!, the poster expert in Lunn Flies into the Wind, and the Hong Kong chef in Yuukan Club, all Orphan releases. He's also the voice of Ranma 1/2's Sataome Gemna, whose alter ego - the grumpy panda - is my avatar on most anime forums. 
• Asou Miyoko (store owner) played Pinako Rockbell in Fullmetal Alchemist (both series), Machiko's aunt in Miss Machiko, Cologne in Ranma 1/2, and Fune Isono in Sazae-san through 2015.

Yamatarou Comes Back was the last of the Lion Books to be directed by Tezuka Osamu. 

This release concludes the project to redo the four Lion Books originally done with encodes from other teams. Skr may want to redo the last two, because he is now using AI to improve the image quality on cel-based sources. (He trained the AI on Crayon Shin-chan!) Meanwhile, you can get Yamatarou Comes Back from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arutha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net

Rain Boy v2

One of Orphan's earliest Tezuka Osamu projects was the set of six OVAs known as the Lion Books:

1	The Green Cat	1983
2	Rain Boy	1983
3	Lunn Flies into the Wind	1985
4	Yamatarou Comes Back	1986
5	Adachigahara	1991
6	Akuemon	1993

The project took 18 months, from the middle of 2013 to the end of 2014. Except for Adachigahara and Akuemon, Orphan used existing raws from other teams. I've always been less than happy about the quality of those raws. Last month, I was able to purchase a complete set of the Lion Books R2J DVDs, and Orphan will be redoing the OVAs with new encodes. Here is the second episode, Rain Boy (Amefuri Kozou).

The first four Lion Books have a similar theme - the quest of a lonely boy for companionship and friends. While The Green Cat is mainstream science fiction, Rain Boy is more of a whimsical fantasy. Mouta lives in the mountains, the son of a teacher in a rural school. Once a month, he goes to a school in the "big city," where he is bullied by the locals as a country bumpkin. Wishing that he had a friend, he stumbles across a strange boy shaped like an umbrella, Rain Boy, who walks around under a personal rain cloud. Only Mouta can see Rain Boy, and the latter becomes Mouta's first friend.

Rain Boy is more than an imaginary companion, because he can act physically in the real world; perhaps he's a tsukomogami. He helps Mouta get a measure of revenge on the bullies, and he saves the local school from a fire. However, their adventures together are cut short when Mouta's family moves to the city. Only much later, when Mouta is a grown man with a child of his own, does he remember Rain Boy and a promise made but not fulfilled. The ending is bittersweet.

I want to mention the art direction, by Kobayashi Shichirou and Miyamoto Seiji. Rain Boy looks very different from The Green Cat, with cartoonish landscape, blocky designs for the human characters, and watercolor-like backdrops:

It's very effective.

The voice cast includes:

• Hayami Shou (young Mouto) starred as Nanjou in Zetsuai: 1989 and Bronze: Zetsuai since 1989, and  as Kushinige Hodaka in Oshare Kozou wa Hanamaru. He also played an angel in Tezuka Osamu's Tales of the Old Testament, Iason's friend Raoul in Ai no Kusabi, Hojo in Sanctuary, Pat Leivy in Starship Troopers, Junoichi in Blazing Transfer Student, Exper Kain in Exper Zenon, and Seichii in Mikoneko Holmes. All of these shows are Orphan releases. 
• Hori Junko (Rain Boy) played the title roles in Shin Obake no Q-taro, Cat Eyed Boy, Chinpui, and Ninja Hattori-kun, young Rock in Wan Wan Chuushingura, and Bunrestu in Time Slip Ichimannen Prime Rose. The last two are Orphan releases.
• Aono Takeshi (Moutou's father) played Nurarihyon in every incarnation of GeGeGe no Kitarou through 2007, Billy Bones in Treasure Island, Bookman in D.grayman, Dracule in One Piece, Katsuhiko Masaki in the Tenchi Muyo franchise, and Shiro Sanada in the Yamato franchise. He also appeared in A Penguin's Memories, Ginga Tansa 2100: Border-nen, Fire Emblem, Grimm Douwa: Kin no Tori, Hashire Melos!, the three Sangokushi movies (as Guan Yu), and Tezuka Osamu's Tales from the Old Testament, all Orphan releases.
• Gouri Daisuke (Bancho) played Hiromi in the Patlabor franchise. His made numerous featured appearances, including Fireball, Peter Pan no Bouken, Dragonball, and Kinnikuman, as well as Bavi Stock, Wolf Boy, Hi-Speed Jecy, Hidamari no Ki, and the three Sangokushi movies. The last five are Orphan releases.
• Nagai Ichirou (Azuki-arai) starred in numerous shows, playing grandfather Jigoro in Yawara!, the off-the-wall narrator in Gosenzosama Banbanzai!, Professor Hajime in Queen Millennia, and Happosai in the Ranma 1/2 franchise. He appeared in Manxmouse, Nora, Hidamari no Ki, Yuukan Club, Amon Saga, Botchan, Ipponbouchou Mantaraou, and Yamato 2520, all Orphan releases.
• Mita Yuuko (one of the bullies) played the title role in Pokonyan, Posi in the Creamy Mami franchise, Kazuya in the Kimagura Orange Road franchise, Neko Musume in the 1985 iteration of GeGeGe no Kitarou, and Will in Robin Hood no Daibouken.
• Akiyama Runa (another of the bullies) played Pench Eliza in the Ginga Hyouryuu Vifam franchise.
  

Rain Boy was directed by Tezuka Osamu. It is one of two Lion Book episodes with an English dub tract; the other is Yamatarou Comes Back.

Moho Kareshi did the original translation, and convexity checked. Eternal_Blizzard timed. I edited and typeset; the typesetting is slightly revised for this release. CP and Calyrica did the original QC; Nemesis and Uchuu QCed this release. Skr encoded from an R2J DVD.

Rain Boy is another fine episode in the Lion Book series. You can download it from the usual torrent site or from IRC bot Orphan|Arurtha in channels #nibl or #news on irc.rizon.net.